Program blueprint
The blueprint for the future tax and super systems is being shaped through ongoing consultation and co-design with the community, stakeholders and ATO staff. Final design decisions will be influenced by factors including legislative direction and finance.
Foreword from the ATO executive
’We want the ATO to be relevant and valuable to the Australian community for the long term – trusted and respected here and internationally and considered a leading organisation by all stakeholders.’ATO Strategic Intent, 2014This blueprint for change reflects what the community wants from the ATO – the kind of experience they want to have when they participate in the tax and super systems.
To achieve our vision of being a contemporary, service oriented organisation, we are transforming how our clients and staff experience the tax and super systems.
We are committed to making it become a reality. We will be unwavering in our focus on improving the client experience, and will constantly check to ensure we are providing contemporary service that is conducive to willing participation in the tax and super systems.
We are not starting from scratch, but building on the many things we already do well. This represents the next phase in the evolution of how we administer the tax and super systems. It will be an ongoing and iterative process, encompassing our clients’ and staff’s entire experience. This means taking a whole-of-system – and, where appropriate, a whole-of-government approach – working with government, business partners and other agencies.
This blueprint is our anchor point. It is designed to provide a clear line of sight to what we want to achieve as we reinvent the ATO. In response to the changing environment, the blueprint will be regularly updated to ensure we are all working toward providing the right experience.
ATO Executive Committee: Chris Jordan, Neil Olesen, Frances Cawthra, Geoff Leeper, Sue Sinclair, Andrew Mills and Jacqui Curtis.
Reinventing the ATO – Program blueprint | Version 7 MARCH 2015
Evolving the tax and super systems right approach for the right time
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Pre – 1986:
ATO assessment era
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1986 – 2014:
Self-assessment era
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Towards 2020 and beyond:
Streamlined self-assessment
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Australian environment
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No personal computers or internet, reliance on TV and print media.
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Emergence of personal computers, the internet and mobile devices, and changing community expectations.
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Globalisation, digital economy, social media, rapidly changing community expectations, digital by design.
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Tax administration paradigm
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ATO assessment Based on full and complete disclosure.
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Self-assessment Based on true and correct statements.
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Streamlined self-assessment Based on integrated digital solutions and stronger relationships.
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Client services
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Front counter, mail, telephone.
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Call centres, field services, emerging digital services.
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Right services at the right time.
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Attitude to administration
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We set the standards and protect the revenue.
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Agreed mutual obligations and protect the revenue.
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We align to community standards and expectations and ensure taxpayers pay the right amount.
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Style of workplace
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Focus on individual, rigid procedures and rules.
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Increased focus on teams and multiskilling, rigid procedures and rules.
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Agile and empowered networks of individuals and teams.
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Structural divisions
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Regional divisions.
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Market based divisions.
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Whole-of-client, whole-of-government, whole-of-ATO.
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Primary medium
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Paper records.
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Paper moving to electronic records.
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Integrated digital solutions.
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Business design focus
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Internally focused.
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Listening to the community.
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Foster willing participation by making it easy to get things right and hard not to.
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Risk culture
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No risk tolerance.
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Risk aversion.
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Sensible risk management.
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Risk approach
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No risk differentiation, random selection.
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Compliance model and risk differentiation framework.
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Tailored engagement based on risk.
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Compliance focus
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100% assessment.
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Risk based reviews and audits.
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Increasing voluntary compliance.
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